The Vietnamese government has increased the number of official Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) holidays from seven days to nine days next year.

Accordingly, the official Tết holiday will be January 28 to February 5, 2014.

The government decision follows proposal by Minister of Transport Đinh La Thăng, who asked Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng to allow civil servants and State employees to begin their Tết holidays two days early.

The civil servants and State employees, however, will have to work on two Saturdays – January 25 and February 8 – as compensation for the two extra days off.

Thăng said the extended holiday was requested in a bid to reduce traffic jams and accidents, as well as to ease the burden on public transportation in big cities when people return to their hometowns to celebrate the Tết festival.